Mental Health Scholarship Program Launches at University of Rochester

THE PATRICK P. LEE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NEW MENTAL HEALTH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER SCHOOL OF NURSING  

Buffalo, NY (December 23, 2019) – Today, the Patrick P. Lee Foundation (Lee Foundation) continued its efforts to address the mental health workforce shortage by awarding $217,500 to the University of Rochester (UR) School of Nursing to create scholarships for students earning a psychiatric nurse practitioner degree.  The Lee Foundation concentrates its investments in the areas of education and mental health.

“The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimates one in five adults in America will experience a mental illness in a given year,” says Jane Mogavero, Executive Director of the Lee Foundation.  “Last year, 60% of those living with a mental illness did not receive mental health services.  One notable barrier to care is the critical shortage of mental health professionals working in our community.”

To address this need, the Lee Foundation is expanding its psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner scholarship program to the UR School of Nursing.  The grant funds will be matched dollar for dollar by the UR School of Nursing and be designated for individuals from Western New York.

“We’re grateful to the Patrick P. Lee Foundation for their commitment to mental health and for investing in UR School of Nursing students,” said Dean Kathy Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP. “It’s no secret that there is a dire shortage of mental health providers in Western New York State.  With the Foundation’s support, we will be able to expand access to our Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program and increase the number of clinicians providing vital mental health services across our region.”

Mogavero adds, “Since the UR School of Nursing program uses an online platform, there is greater opportunity for individuals from more rural parts of our region to pursue mental health degrees while remaining in their communities.” 

In addition to the UR School of Nursing scholarships, the Lee Foundation funds scholarships for mental health degrees at D’Youville and the University of Buffalo.